Relationship of Zinc Status with Depression and Anxiety among Elderly Population
Zainab Anbari-Nogyni Clinical Nutrition ESPEN Articles in Press E-mail Alert - February 24, 2020
Highlights
•Low level of serum zinc was observed among 23.2% of participants.
•dietary intake of zinc in 72.4% of participants was less than EAR.
•The total depression and anxiety prevalence were 42.2% and 52.5% respectively.
•Participants in the third tertile of serum zinc concentration had 51% lower depression chance in comparison to those in the first tertile.
Background & Aims
Population aging is a global challenge. Old populations are prone to zinc deficiency. This study aimed to determine the association of zinc status with depression and anxiety among men and women aged 60+ years old.
Methods
In this cross-sectional study, 297 elderly participants (144 males and 153 females) were studied. The dietary and serum zinc were assessed using a three-day dietary record and an auto-analyzer, respectively. Depression and anxiety were measured using Geriatric Depression Scale and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, respectively. Chi-squared test was used to compare qualitative variables. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess relationship between zinc status and depression/anxiety.
Results
The total zinc deficiency based on serum values was 23.2%. Dietary intake of zinc in 72.4%of participants was less than of the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). The total depression prevalence was 42.2%. Moreover, 52.5% of the participants suffered from anxiety. The odds of depression among participants in the third tertile of serum zinc concentration was 51% lower than those in the first tertile (OR= 0.49, CI=0.25-0.96, p=0.03). No significant relationship was found between zinc intake and depression. Furthermore, serum or dietary zinc levels were not related to anxiety.
Conclusions
This study showed a considerable zinc deficiency and depression/anxiety in the old population. A significant relation was found between serum zinc concentration and depression. Further surveys, especially cohort studies and clinical trials are needed to confirm these results.